Cryogenics relates to the production and maintenance of very low temperatures, often using cryogenic fluids such as hydrogen, helium, oxygen, nitrogen, air or methane. Various discussions concerning cryogenic systems can be found in literature. See, e.g., Barron, Cryogenic Systems, 2d Ed., Oxford University Press (1985); Bell, Jr., Cryogenic Engineering, Prentice Hall, Inc. (1963); Vance, Cryogenic Technology, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (1963); and Timmerhaus et al, Cryogenic Process Engineering, Plenum Press (1989).
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,320,755; 3,714,796 and 3,728,868 disclose cryogenic refrigeration systems (i.e., cryostats). U.S. Pat. No. 4,237,699 relates to cryostats for producing cryogenic refrigeration by expansion of a working fluid through a Joule-Thomson orifice. The cryostat disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,237,699 can be placed in a dewar so that the liquefied working fluid can be maintained to cool an object such as an infrared detector. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,021,683 and 3,048,021 relate to gas liquefiers. U.S. Pat. No. 4,653,284 discloses a Joule-Thomson heat exchanger and cryostat. U.S. Pat. No. 4,781,033 discloses a heat exchanger for a fast cooldown.
Prior to and as a result of the discovery of high temperature superconductors (HTS), a significant amount of time and money has been spent to evaluate the operating characteristics of circuit components at low temperatures. For example, advantages have been observed when operating power MOSFETs at 77K. These advantages include a reduction of the on-resistance of the MOSFETs by as much as a factor of 30 at 77K.
The implementation of cryocooled electronic power conversion apparatus incorporating MOSFETs and HTS (high temperature superconductor) magnetics, however, has been directed at operational temperatures of 77K and lower. This is due in part to operational features of the HTS wire. A temperature of 77K has been achieved by operating the electronic circuitry in a bath of liquid nitrogen.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,168 to Russo discloses a high performance, cryogenically cooled circuit. The entire circuit, as opposed to for example only the superconducting portions of the circuit, are refrigerated to cryogenic temperatures. In addition to the improved operational characteristics of the superconducting based components, the diodes and the gating elements such as MOSFETs provide a circuit capable of operating a switching power supply at lower frequency using larger inductor values. The entire contents of U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,168 are incorporated herein by reference.
While the cryogenic electronics power supplies and power sinks disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,168 represent a significant improvement over the prior art, the economics of large scale commercial products employing cryogenic power conversion electronics suggest that overall system and cost efficiency can be more easily met by operating the power electronics at temperatures in the range of 90K to 236K.
It would therefore be desirable to provide methods and apparatus for cryogenic cooling systems that allow operation in a temperature range of 90K to 236K, thereby overcoming the shortcomings associated with the prior art.